It is well known that an accurate reading of the temperature of a human body is helpful, if not essential, for the diagnosis and treatment of numerous ailments. Indeed, several types of thermometers have been developed for these purposes. For instance, the so-called infrared thermometers are increasingly being used in addition to, or in place of, the more conventional contact thermometer. While all types of thermometers can be efficacious for their intended use, the focus here is on infrared thermometers, examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,840 to Fraden for an invention entitled "Infrared Electronic Thermometer and Method for Measuring Temperature" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,324 to O'Hara et al. for an invention entitled "Method and Apparatus for Measuring Internal Body Temperature Utilizing Infrared Emissions."
Regardless of the type of thermometer, however, for all thermometers it is necessary that there be a sanitary contact between the thermometer and the body. This means that the thermometer must either be sterilizable prior to a subsequent use, that it be used only once and then discarded, or that the thermometer be somehow protected from contact with the body. For thermometers, such as infrared thermometers, which cannot be effectively sterilized or are too expensive to be disposable, the only practical way to insure a sanitary use of the thermometer is to provide a disposable cover for that part of the thermometer which comes into contact with the body.
In order to determine the temperature of a human body, infrared thermometers typically have a probe which is inserted into the external ear canal of the patient or otherwise brought into contact with a body surface of the patient. With the probe so placed, infrared emissions from within the ear canal are received through the probe and detected by the thermometer for conversion into temperature readings. Thus, it is the probe of an infrared thermometer which contacts the body of the patient and which needs to be protected from contamination. Not surprisingly, several devices have been suggested which accomplish this purpose. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,740 to Twentier discloses a disposable plastic speculum for use on an infrared sensing thermometer and U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,360 to O'Hara et al. discloses a sanitary protective cover for the ear canal probe of a tympanic thermometer. As exemplified by the above-cited references, infrared thermometer probe covers have heretofore typically included a rigid or semi-rigid structure which is intended to perform a function in addition to partially covering the probe. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,740 to Twentier, a rigid structure is provided for the probe cover which serves as a speculum that helps render the ear canal accessible to the probe. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,360 to O'Hara et al., the two-part probe cover includes a relatively rigid tubular body portion which is sufficiently strong to mount and support an infrared window on the thermometer probe.
The present invention recognizes that, unlike prior art devices, the probe cover for an infrared thermometer need not function as a speculum in addition to its protective function. Further, the present invention recognizes that the functional part of a probe cover need not be either rigid or semi-rigid. Instead, as recognized by the present invention, the probe cover of an infrared thermometer can be simply a cover so long as this cover includes the infrared (IR) transparent window that must be part of any effective probe cover. Still further, the present invention recognizes that the IR transparent window of a probe cover can be an integral part of a continuously formed unitary barrier which can be positioned between the thermometer probe and the part of the body which comes into contact with the probe.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a cover for the probe speculum of an infrared thermometer which establishes an effective sanitary barrier between the probe and the part of the body that comes in contact with the probe. The present invention also provides a speculum cover which operatively positions an infrared transparent window on the probe of an infrared thermometer. Further, the present invention provides a probe cover which is easily placed on the probe of an infrared thermometer and easily removed from the probe. Still further, the present invention provides a probe cover which effectively establishes a continuous integrally formed unitary barrier between the probe and the part of the body which comes into contact with the probe. Additionally, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a probe cover which is cost-effective and relatively easy to implement.